Newsletter

Asian New Year Celebration w/ East Asian Languages & Literature

By Eva Jo McIlraith

February 25, 2026

Asian Student Union hosted their 4th annual Asian New Year Celebration on Saturday, February 21st in collaboration with Hamilton’s East Asian Languages and Literature Department! The event received a significant turnout, around 145 Hamilton community members attended the event. The celebration showcased a range of foods, festival games, and performances, curating an experience for students, staff, and faculty alike that brought the nostalgia of new years to campus. 

Student Denise Zheng ‘29 began the event with a stunning speech reminiscing on her family’s traditions surrounding the Chinese New Year. She reflected on cleaning and preparing food, before the highlight of her day, receiving money from family elders as part of the tradition. Isabella Poh ' 29 took to the stage next to sing a song in Hokien, to the thrill of attendees. Then, students milled around the room, cutting paper decorations depicting the symbolic horse that gave the year its meaning. Staff and faculty members taught attendees how to paint lanterns and calligraphy, while other attendees took Japanese culture quizzes and flipped folded paper in a game of Menko. Children dropped coins into water and smashed can towers with balls for prizes of Umai Bo, stickers, and lychee gummies. Attendees engaged in thrilling games of Mahjong and pitch pot, while the sounds of numerous languages filled the room. 

Organizers then lined up attendees for a feast from a staggering assortment of local Asian restaurants, including Taj Mahal, Lotus Garden, Red Samurai, Pho Vietnam, and Mitsuba Ramen. The line swept around the entire annex as eager guests filled their plates with Korean fried chicken, pork buns, sushi, spring rolls, and saag paneer. Food was devoured as conversation rose among attendees around the tables. Guests took to the stage again to perform karaoke before the event came to a close.

As the final karaoke notes faded and friends lingered over the last bites of food, the room carried a community and togetherness that felt far bigger than the annex itself. “For many Asian countries, New Years is the most important celebration of the year— to many, it’s as important as Christmas is to Western countries. Having this celebration allows us to come together over a shared holiday, learn from each other, and exist in a space where you can fully express yourself on campus,” recalled ASU fellows Annie Huang and Anh-Thu Nguyen about the spirit of the event. More than just a festive evening, the Asian New Year Celebration stood as a vibrant testament to the power of cultural storytelling, community collaboration, and joy. Through language, food, games, and performance, ASU and EALL ushered in the new year with a renewed sense of belonging.